Suppliers asked to install sensors in enclosed spaces with gas piping

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said it has asked gas suppliers to install alarm units in enclosed spaces where gas piping is present, such as warehouses and other buildings, in response to an explosion at a shopping mall in Kumamoto Prefecture in July following a major earthquake.

Such buildings include schools and hospitals, which total tens of thousands nationwide.

Currently, gas sensor alarm systems must be installed near tanks and devices that use gas, such as kitchen stoves, but this requirement doesn’t extend to areas where gas pipes run through.

A member of an expert panel discussing measures to prevent a recurrence of incidents like the Kumamoto explosion suggested the new move when talks began on Sept. 8.

“If there are measures that are considered effective in mitigating damage, we will take the steps swiftly without waiting for determination of the causes,” industry minister Ryosei Akazawa said during a news conference on Friday.

The industry ministry carried out on-site inspections at the Kumamoto shopping mall jointly with police and fire authorities in the wake of the explosion. They agreed it was highly likely that the explosion was caused by liquefied petroleum gas supplied to the facility.

Gas that leaks from pipes damaged by earthquakes tends to accumulate in enclosed spaces such as in warehouses and rooms with few or no windows.